The Utah Mammoth aren’t waiting around to see what happens on July 1. They made another move ahead of NHL free agency, this time locking up one of their own pending unrestricted free agents.
Kailer Yamamoto is staying in Utah. The deal is for two years at $1.75 million per season, according to hockey insider Frank Seravalli. That’s a $3.5 million commitment total for a forward who spent most of last season proving he still belonged in the league.
Yamamoto signed a one-year deal with the Mammoth back in summer 2025 after a rough couple of years. The former first-round pick by Edmonton never really became the player the Oilers hoped for when they took him 22nd overall in 2017. His best year came in 2021-22 when he scored 20 goals and added 21 assists. But he regressed the next season, got traded to Detroit, got bought out, then spent a year in Seattle where he managed just 16 points. That led to a professional tryout with Utah and a lot of time in the AHL with the Tucson Roadrunners last season.
But this past season in Utah, Yamamoto found some footing. He played 59 games with the Mammoth, putting up 13 goals and 10 assists. And in the playoffs, he added five points in six games. Not superstar numbers but solid production from a guy who could have been out of the league a year ago.
Still Work to Do in Utah
The Mammoth still have six free agents to deal with. Barrett Hayton is their only restricted free agent. The unrestricted list includes Alex Kerfoot, Kevin Stenlund, Ian Cole, Nick DeSimone, and goaltender Vitek Vanecek. That’s a lot of potential roster turnover still to figure out.
Utah already made some noise this offseason. They traded away JJ Peterka and brought in Joshua Roy and Sebastian Cossa. Now with Yamamoto locked in, they’ve got one less headache going into Wednesday when free agency officially opens.
Yamamoto, still only 27, might not be the top-six scorer everyone expected when he was drafted. But he’s carved out a role as a depth piece who can chip in offense. And for $1.75 million a year, that’s decent value for a team still building its identity.
Leave a Comment